Healthcare Cost Burden and Self-Reported Frequency of Depressive/Anxious Feelings in Older Adults

ABSTRACT

Using the 2018-2021 National Health Interview Survey data, we examined the associations between healthcare cost burden and depressive/anxious feelings in older adults. Nearly12% reported healthcare cost burden and 18% daily/weekly depressive/anxious feelings. Healthcare cost burden was higher among women, racial/ethnic minorities, those with chronic illnesses, mobility impairment, and those with Medicare Part D, but lower among individuals with Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibility, Medicare Advantage, VA/military insurance, and private insurance. Daily/weekly depressive/anxious feelings was higher among healthcare cost burden reporters. The COVID-19 pandemic-related medical care access problems were also associated with a higher risk of reporting healthcare cost burden and depression/anxiety.

KEYWORDS:

• Healthcare cost, healthcare cost burden
• delayed healthcare
• prescription medication
• depression/anxiety
• chronic conditions
• COVID-19

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

study conceptualization: NGC, BYC, CNM, MEK; data management: NGC; data analysis and interpretation: NGC, CNM; manuscript draft: NGC, BYC, MEK; final editing: NGC, BYC, CNM, MEK

Research ethics

This study based on de-identified public-domain data was exempt by the University of Texas at Austin’s Institutional Review Board.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by grant, [P30AG066614], awarded to the Center on Aging and Population Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin by the National Institute on Aging. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.